George Zimmerman: Vietnam vet bolsters defense

In Monday's series of witnesses for George Zimmerman, Vietnam veteran John Donnelly stood out.

WOFL-Channel 35 legal analyst Diana Tennis complained that the case was going slowly by revisiting the Vietnam War, and she acknowledged that viewers blasted her for a dismissive tweet.

Tennis seemed moved by the criticism. She called Donnelly, Zimmerman's friend, the day's most convincing witness. Donnelly recounted his experiences in Vietnam and explained his ability to recognize voices in duress.

WFTV-Channel 9 legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said he believed that Donnelly's "heartfelt" testimony had resonated with the jury. But some people might dismiss the testimony because Donnelly is a good friend of Zimmerman. "If you don't believe him ... you're going to say all of that was theatrics and just self-serving," Sheaffer said.

Sheaffer said the defense was trying to answer the strong testimony Friday of Fulton's mother and brother. The legal analyst theorized that the defense realized it had to paint a similar portrait of Zimmerman that Trayvon's family had painted of the dead teen. Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in Trayvon's fatal shooting.

Defense attorney Mark O'Mara had done a good job of getting witnesses to speak of Zimmerman's character without directly questioning them about the defendant's character, Sheaffer said.

WKMG-Channel 6 reporter Tony Pipitone said the jurors seemed more subdued than usual because of the constant replay of phone calls. "They're not as engaged," Pipitone said. "I think clearly they want to wrap this up. I'm not saying they're leaning one way or the other. But they just seem like they want to move it along."

WFTV anchor Greg Warmoth cited a court observer who said that jurors weren't taking notes after calls were played over and over.

"The prosecution wants to marry George Zimmerman with those words and say that evidences ill will and spite," Sheaffer said. "But they weren't able to get that out of any of these witnesses."

Deen theorized that jurors had made up their minds about who's screaming for help on a call. But Deen said the defense was getting "Zimmerman good-guy witnesses up there without opening the door about his character." And that was an advantage for O'Mara, Deen said.

Tennis said the defense was trying to make jurors look at these people supporting Zimmerman and talking about him in endearing ways.

Tennis described the defense's pitch to the jury: "These are people who in believe in George Zimmerman, and if you believe in these people, then you believe in George Zimmerman."